The largest student housing development in the country breaks ground

On Feb. 26 the University of California, Davis officially broke ground for The Green at West Village, a campus apartment project that is currently the largest student housing development in the country.

Set on 34 acres, the project will have space for up to 3,300 students across nine four-story buildings. Indoor and outdoor community space, recreational fields, and a 10,000-sf community building are included in the development. The community building will comprise a fitness center, a multipurpose room, and student support services.

Originally planned with 1,875 beds, the design team developed a plan that cut back on space for student vehicles, which allowed for more residential units. In addition to adding more beds, the new approach will also help strengthen pedestrian and bike culture throughout the campus, according to Stantec, the project’s architect.

The design team is using Prescient’s Digital Thread during the design and construction of the project. This software is based on a model-centric design and planning platform and connects projects from the initial architectural design through the finished building to create an orderly progression while connecting all members of the build team.

The project, which has a goal of 100% zero net energy use on an annual basis, is expected to have the first 1,000 beds ready and available to students for fall 2020. In addition to Stantec, the building team includes CBG Building Co. (general contractor) and The Michaels Organization (developer).

The robotics labs at the 71,000-sf John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation, on the Providence, R.I., campus of Johnson & Wales University. This STEM building provides teaching labs and support spaces for engineering, biology, physics, chemistry, and organic chemistry. Photo courtesy John Horner.